STUDYING SEXUAL DESIRE
Desire and arousal. These seem like straightforward concepts on the surface, but how often do we really think about what they mean? If desire is defined as wanting to have sex, and arousal is being physically ready to have sex, it seems natural that one would become aroused when experiencing desire. But is human sexual response really this straightforward?
"Illusion of desire" by Flickr user Autumnsonata
McGill researcher Sabina Sarin doesn’t think so. Sarin is currently conducting a study on sexual desire and arousal, and is looking for willing participants. She’s recruiting both men and women in the community who are experiencing low sexual desire and/or arousal levels, as well as those experiencing healthy sexual function. Her study stems from the limitations she believes we have in thinking about desire and arousal.
“Arousal is defined for both men and women as physical: erection, lubrication,” says Sarin. “Desire is defined as fantasies or desire for sexual activity. When women come in and say they’re having difficulty getting aroused, we’ve been using a vaginal photoplethysmography probe to measure levels of arousal.” The probe is actually a light diode with a rubber stopper – inserted into the vagina, it records changes in the light based on changes in blood flow. Sarin believes this system of measurement helped reveal an important disconnect between women’s reported (mental) desires and their physiological levels of arousal, but now the issue is that of trying to understand the reasons behind this disconnect.
Measured excitement
“The probe measures the amplitude of blood flow,” she says, “but we’re not really sure what the numbers mean. They’re not absolute – the measurements can differ even on the same person at different times, and they don’t really translate to meaningful indications of changes in arousal levels.” Instead, she says her study uses a thermal imaging camera that uses infrared technology to track heat.
Temperature levels are much easier to understand, and can be compared to other results more easily. Additionally, the test can be performed on men as well as women, as it requires no direct contact with the participant – this will help compare any differences between the two genders. The hope is that the test will also help examine whether the mind/body disconnect is real or just a result of outdated technology.
“Women come in saying they can’t be aroused, but physically we see that they seem to be aroused,” Sarin says. “We’re wondering what causes this and how we can help close this gap.”
Sarin has a number of hypotheses, including the idea that women are more sensitive to context than men. If they’re distracted, they may not feel aroused even if, physically, their bodies are responding to their partner’s touch. It’s this area where arousal does not reflect desire that interests Sarin, who thinks there’s a difference between desire and what she calls “mental arousal.”
“Sixty-five percent of women say they don’t have fantasies,” she told me in a recent interview. That seems unbelievable, but apparently these women report thinking about sex but not fantasizing about it. While they don’t fantasize throughout their day-to-day lives, they will often use fantasies to increase their levels of arousal during sexual activities. This is an interesting gender difference to note, as Sarin believes it indicates the importance of the erotic process for women.
Fantasy worlds
"Seeing other people" by Flickr user margolove
Sarin also thinks that an important piece of the puzzle is the fact that women can have fantasies without necessarily experiencing a desire for sex. This desire for erotic pleasure is associated with being the object of someone’s desire, and if this aspect is removed—as after a relationship’s “honeymoon period” has expired—many women experience a drop-off in desire. This lack of romancing or even simply non-sexual touching that leads to sexual encounters is lost, and what takes its place is a more goal-based version of sex, where orgasm is important but savouring the experience is not.
“We’re so focused on the end goal instead of the erotic process,” Sarin says, “that if we start something, we feel we must finish it. And, of course, by ‘finish’ we mean with an orgasm. Why?”
Sarin poses an interesting question: If we broaden the ways in which we think about and express desire and arousal as many couples in long-term relationships do—particularly as they age and intercourse becomes more physically challenging—would we perhaps not see so many women with lack of desire? Furthermore, since her study relies on participants watching sexual explicit material (i.e., porn) while having their genital temperatures measured, will it conclusively show that our desires do not match our arousal levels precisely because our desires are not so easily packaged and sold? I, for one, am looking forward to the results.
If you’d like more information about the McGill Sexual Desire and Arousal Study, or would like to participate, contact Sabina at 514-398-5323 or by email at mcgillsdastudy@gmail.com.
(Originally published at Hour.ca)
